Clothesline heel and tightener



F. M. GlDDINGS. CLOTHESLIM am Mln UGHYENER.

- Urirriizn STA'MENT OFFICE. i

" FRED M. GIDDINGS, 0F GALESBURG, ILLINOIS. 'I i l'CLOTHESLINE REEL AND TGHTENER.

To all whom it may co ern.:

. lle it ltnoivii that y y a vcitizen of the l'iiitedtitates. a' resident ot' Galesburg. in thecounty ot Knoxand State ot' Illinois. liaveinvented new and useful' liupiro'venieuts Ain (lotliesliiic Heels-'and 'l`ightenei-s. of ivliicli the lfollowing is a specitieation.l

This invention has reference to new iiiid uset'iil improvements in reels` and supports t'oi' saine l'or storing c lotheslines or` lines used t'or similar purposes',a1 id for stretchingr and holdin; r the saine taut lifter stretching. .()neoof the olijcetsmit' in v invention is a line may lie properly Stretehedto any desiredtension unen in use.

A vfurther obieet ot niy invention is areel that uill securely hold the clothesline intension during use, and also permits the releaseor slacking of the same. when desired.

Thatjhe inveiitioir'niay be more fully b11- derstood. reference had to the :ie. 1inpan.i ing draw-ings .fornifrga a1-t of this specification, `in ivhieh-- l x Figure 1 is a side elevation showing 1i`iy reel mounted on itsA support oi'ra post.;

Fig. 2 is a front clevationof my reel shown infFig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa pla-n showin!! my reel 4inone -of its adjusted positions, and also shows 1 designates a post or other suitable nueansupon which the bracketI 2 is securely mounted by the screws or any other fastening means 3. 4 denotes a shaft whlch is ad]ust.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

reel Vupon which' a clothesline may he reeled.

Patented Dee. 9. 1919.

yApplication tiled June 18.z 1919. Serial No. 305,075.

ably carried on the bracket 2 by means of the bolts 5 which, for the. purpose of easy removal are secured by the thumb nuts 6.

Mounted on the upper side of the Shaft 4 andalso secured by means of the bolts 5 is the angularly formed member 'T which car-` ries the au'l 8 (the purpose of which will be hereinafter described) sivingablv mounted thereon 'by means of the pin 9. 11 order to insure 'proper bearing for the bracket 2 and member 7 the shaft. l has the preferably flattened portion' 10 on its'uppe1" and lower side.

ltotatably niountedon the vshaft 1 is the sleeve 1l. the ends of ivliielrare provided ivith the threaded portions l2tand 13 by means of ivhich the ratchet member -1.4 .and

'the flanged collar 15 are securely mounted.

lt ivill he. noted b v reference to Fig. l and Ifig. 4. that the ratchetnieniber 11 is so dispbsed on the sleeve 11 t-liat the tooth portions 16 ot' the ratchet ,member come lin proper alineinent ith the pawl 8, hereinbef1 ire described.

1T denotes a circular plate or dish mounted on the sleeve 1l. and securely heldvbymeans y of the screws 1S. to the flanged Collar 15, the purpose ot' which will bev more fully described hereinafter.

1t) denotes certain of the reel members also secured to the flanged collar by means of the screws 1S which pass through the eireular disk or plate li'. The inner ends 2() ot' the reel members 19 are'shaped to contorni to the eircular section of the sleeve 11 in order that they 1na be held iu the proper position in relation to each other around said sleeve. 'lhe outer ends ot' the members l15) are lient at- 20 toforni one side of the V-shaped portion of' the i'eel. 21 indicates .Jother reel n'ieinhe-rs also heut at. 2t) to forni the opposite side of the V-shaped portion of the reel. he reel members 21 `are secured to the reel member 19 by means of the rivets 22, which also passthrougli and secure. the outer rini of the circular plate or disk 17 to the reel members 19.

Secured to one set of reel members 19 and 21, bynieansof the bolt 2.3, is a handle 21 by means ot' ivliiehthe reel may be rotated about the axis of the shaft l.

By reference to Fig. il it. will be noted that; I have shown a group of holes 25 arranged in pairs in the bracket or support 2 toacconnnodato the bolts 5 in the shaft 4:; the purpose of which is to permit the adjustingof thevshaft 4 in its initial position to aline itself to dotted lines 26. It will thus be easily understood, that by this adjustment of the initial position of shaft l, that the reel which is indicated by the dotted lines 2'( can be set to aline with the draft of the clothesline from almost any direction.

The circular plate or disk 17 is embodied as anelement in the reel structure, not be-r causeit enhances the'operation .or usefulness of the device, but merely as a means .on which an advertisement may be placed to designate the dealer handling the same. In other words, if desired, a dealer may give the reel away as a premium for sales of certain cash value, and when so doing his name, place of business and list of goods handled may be placed thereon to advertise his business.

In operation, the reel 'is 'first placed on the shaft 4, mounted on the bracket 2, and rotatably held in position by the cotter piu 28. The clothesline is then distributed to the various posts or other supporting means, after which, the reel is rotated about the axis of the shaft 4 to ta'ke back any slack in the clothesline. When the slack has been taken back on the reel and the line is ready for the final stretching, the outgoing line is removed from' the V-shaped portion of the reel and through the further rotation of the reel is Wrapped about the sleeve 11 as shoivnin Fig. 3, until the desired tautness ol" the line is accomplished, and is held by means of the pawl 8 engaging the tooth portions 16 of the ratchet member 14 secured to the sleeve 11.

When it is desired'to remove the clothesline, the reel may be turned sufiiciently by means of the handle 21 to permit the release of the pawl 8 from the tooth portion .16 of the ratchet member 14. The pawl may be then swung back to permit the slacking and release of the clothesline from the adjacent posts, or other supporting means, after which, the clotheslinevmay be Wound on the reel. The reel with the clothesline thereon may he :hen dismounted from 'the shaft 4: by removing the cotter pin 28 from theV shaft 4, and stored until further required.

What I claim is:

1. In a-clothesline reel, in combinationfa bracket member, a shaft,`means for securing said shatt to sald member 1n different vangular positions, a sleeve, means for dctachably attachmg said sleeve on said shaft, a ratchet wheel on one end of saidsleeve,

'line receivingmembers frhe opposite end the opposite endof said sleeve, linereceivl ing members connected with said collar, a handle attached to one of said line receiving members, an arm attached to the. shaft,'and a paw] pivotally connected with said arm and adapted to have engagement with the teeth on said ratchet tooth member.

3. In a clothesline reel, in combination, a bracket member, a shaft, means for securing sai`d shaft to said member in dii'erent angular positions, a sleeve, means for detachabl v attac-hing said sleeve on said shaft, a ratchet tooth member on one end of said sleeve, a flanged collar on -the opposite end ot' said sleeve, line receiving members extending radially 'from and secured to said i collar, a disk interposed between said collar and said line receivmg members, and secured thereto, and a pawl pivotally. connected with said shaft and adapted to have engagement with the teeth on said wheel.`

4. In a clothes line reel, in combination,i

a bracket member, q.,,-1Shaft, means forsecuring said shaft tof'said member in different angularpositions, an elongated sleeve ha"- ing on one end a ratchet tooth member and on the opposite end Iline receiving members,

ber and said line receiving members provided "for the ceiling of the line about said,

sleeve, means for detachably attaching said sleeve on said shaft, a pau'l 'pivotally` 'connected tov the inner end of the shaft aml adapted to have engagement with the tee-th on said ratchet tooth member, and a handle secured to one of said line receiving members. e

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed myl hand this 9th day of June, 1919.

" FRED M. GIDDINGS.

'the spacing between the ratchet tootli mem- 

